Buffing-head.



m vseasm PATENTED AUG. 1a, 1903.

F. J. KANE,

BUFFING I HEAD. urmoumn FILED APR. 11. 1903 N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented August 18, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK J. KANE, OF ROCHESTER, NEIV YORK.

BUFFlNG-HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,736, dated August 18, 1903. Application filed April 11, 1903. Serial No 152,210. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beitknown thatl, FRANK J. KANE,of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buffing-Heads; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My invention relates to heads used in abrading or polishing machines, such as buifingmachines, and has for its object to provide a tool having a pneumatic cushion which is self-inflated while in operation; and the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and the novel features pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

Inthe drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the buffing-head embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a rear plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view along the line 3 3 of Fig. 4.. Fig. 4 is a rear view, partly in section, along the line 4 4% of Fig. 3.

Similar reference-numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

In carrying out my invention I provide a buffing-head adapted to be attached to the shaft of the buffing or abrading machine, having a covering of flexible material with air passages or channels leading'to the interior thereof.

In the particular embodiment of my invention which I have illustrated I provide a carrying vehicle or support for the buffing-surface having the main frame 1 to be connected by a shank 2 to the rotary shaft 3 of a suitable machine and secured by some fastening means, as by a slot and pin 1 and screw 5. The frame 1 may have secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by screws 6, a support 7, which may or may not be of flexible material. I have found that a disk made of leather furnishes the necessary rigidity and at the same time possesses a resiliency which is desirable in tools of this character. To the support 7 may be affixed by cementing or otherwise a facing or pad 8 of some yielding material, as felt, and preferably made with a convex or rounded contour and projecting beyond the circumference of the support 7. Over the pad 8 and fitting tightly about the outer edge or circumference thereof is secured a flexible covering 10, having the usual polishing or abrading surface. This covering may be secured to the buffing-head in any suitable manner, and in this particular disclosure is removably attached through the medium of pins 11 and hooks 12, carried by the support 7, engaging apertures in the tongues 13 of the cover. In order to facilitate the attachment or removal of the covering, the hooks 12 may be rotatably held in the support by means of nuts 13, threaded thereon. As shownin Fig. 3, the flexible covering may be drawn tightly over the outer periphcry of the pad 8, whileinclosing an air space or chamber 14 beneath the buifing-surface,for the purposes hereinafter specified.

The head is provided with one or more air passages or channels 15, leading to the airchamber, and in the arrangement herein shown the several passages formed in the frame 1 unite in a common recess 16, which comm unicates with said air-chamber through the channel 17, though it is obvious that such union of the air-passages is not essential.

In order that the air-chamber 145 may be continuously inflated during the operation of the buffing-heads, the latter is provided with outlets for the air-passages of such configuration that a rotary motion of the head will cause air to be driven or forced through the passages into the air-chamber to inflate the covering 10, and as one means for forcing the air through the passages I have shown the frame provided with wings 18, whose outer walls project forward at an angle to the direction of rotation, thus forming an outwardly-flaring pocket, from the bottom of which lead the air-passages,as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

In the operation of my device the rotary motion imparted to the head causes the wings to direct the air inwardly, thus creating a draft or pressure of air continuously through the passages and maintaining the air in the chamber 14 under pressure. An air-cushion is thus maintained within the flexible covering, which allows the external surface of the covering to conform to the configuration of the surface operated upon, at the same time preserving the resiliency at all points.

The yielding pad 8 and resilient support 7 cooperate with the pneumatic cushion, enabling the device to conform to the surface operated upon,and the edge or rim of the pad 8 projecting beyond the periphery of the support 7 provides a flexible edge which will yield to accommodate an irregular surface and engaging therewith.

While I have shown and described a device in which the air-pockets are attached to the buffing-pad, it will be understood that it is not essential that it be made integral therewith.

By my invention above described I am enabled to provide a buffing-head having a pneumatically cushioned surface which is automatically inflated during the operation thereof and which is particularly adapted to the smoothing or abrading of irregular surfaces.

I claim as my invention- 1. A buffing-head comprising a rotary support having a wing thereon, a passage leading from beneath the Wing to the face of the support and a covering on the latter.

2. A buffing-head comprising a rotary support having wings thereon extending at an angle thereto, passages leading from beneath the Wings to the face of the support and a flexible covering secured to the latter.

3. A buffing-head comprising a rotary support havinga plurality of pockets open at their forward edges, passages leading fromthe bottoms of the pockets to the face of the support v and a flexible covering secured to the latter and extending over the ends of the passages.

4. A buffing-head comprising a rotary support having a plurality of wings thereon arranged at an angle thereto, and a removable flexible covering, means for securing the edges of the covering to the support and passages leading from beneath the wings to the face of the su pport beneath the covering.

5. In a bufling-head, the combination with a rotary support having wings thereon and a yielding facing on the support, of a covering extending over said facing, means for securing its edges tightly thereto and air-passages leading from the wings to the space beneath the covering.

6. A rotary buffing-head comprising a support, a flexible covering therefor and airohannels leading from beneath the covering and opening in the direction of rotation.

7. In a buffing-head, the combination with a rotary support having a wing thereon and a yielding facing having an edge extending beyond that of the support, of a flexible covering extending over the facing, fastening devices on the rear side of the support engaging said covering and an air-passage leading from beneath the covering to a point beneath the Wing.

8. In a buffing-head, the combination with a rotary support having a wing, a resilient face-plate mounted on the support and a facing of yielding material thereon, of a flexible covering extending over the facing, devices for securing it and an air-passage leading from beneath the covering to a point beneath the wing.

, FRANK J. KANE.

Witnesses: I

G. WILLARD RICH, ELIZABETH SQUIER. 

